Friday, February 29, 2008

It was lovely to receive our birthday cards sent to Llangollen Post Office. They happily provided the 'poste restante' service unlike the man in Sue's blog, in fact they even recognised me the second time I collected our post. Eric enjoyed a quiet 60th birthday but that's what he wanted. He's making a good recovery from his operation but his walking speed is slower than usual-which is great because I don't have to tell him to slow down so I can keep up!

We've not done anything particulary interesting this week other than the usual food shopping, boat cleaning, water filling and cassette emptying jobs. Today's job is the washing but the washer drier does all the work! We did have a bus ride into Wrexham and Eric found a lovely brass dragon which will make a lovely tiller pin when he gets a metal rod to do it himself or finds a tiller pin maker on our travels. It's sitting on the shelf looking good at the moment just waiting for the time when he get's outside to see the world!

Ben the dog has been enjoying eating his pet tennis balls as they are rubbish and split in two when he squishes them as we play ball. He's also had lots of deep paddles when he drops his ball down the sloping banks deliberately and then goes in the canal to get it. He's not daft he won't go in if it's deep and I've yet to see him swim other than when he's fallen in deeper water. We are off for our morning walk. Make the most of your extra day this year!

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Well I reached the grand 'old' age of 58 today and Eric will be 60 on Wednesday- my very own OAP. He can get his free bus pass now. I have to go to the Post Office to pick up my birthday cards using the 'poste restante' service provided by the post office. I don't feel any older (until I look in the mirror and see my mum looking at me) and I am certainly fitter since we started our life afloat. My walking boots died as the soles and uppers parted company and I had to replace them with a new pair from Regatta. (Factory Outlet shop In Llangollen). Today we are eating out at the Bridge End Hotel where the food is great. I've already had lots of 'Happy Birthday' phonecalls so I will enjoy my birthday!

Saturday, February 16, 2008

What have I done this week? It certainly has flown by. Of course there's been the usual boat 'housekeeping' jobs, emptying cassettes, filling up with water and cleaning up! Ben is shedding so much hair at the moment the carpet gets a grey tinge very quickly (mix of black and white hair). Eric has had a few walks with me, but it'll be a while before he's able to walk Ben the dog as he pulls on his lead and we don't want to burst his stitches! Lots of boats are moving this week as it's half term and apart from frosty starts to each day, the sun has shined most days. Ben is pawing my arm as I do this- he's wants to go for a walk. After I've taken him for his walk it's food shopping for me- I am sure my arms have got longer carrying bags of shopping unless of course I take the OAP shopping trolley!

Sunday, February 10, 2008

I've spent the last week on the boat with Ben the dog as my companion. We've had lots of walks and he doesn't answer back when you talk to him. Eric returned yesterday by train from Newport after his hernia operation. He is on light duties now and hopefully will soon be back to normal. Today the weather is glorious, buds are bursting and Llangollen is busy with bikers (motor) out in the sunshine. Thomas the Tank Engine was also visiting today so there were lots of children and mums and dads about. The dog walkers are also out in force, as are those who peer through the boat windows at those strange people who live on their boat. They seem so surprised to see all mod cons such as radiators and inevitably ask is it cold on the boat? I know we were guilty of looking in narrowboat windows before we had our boat, so I should understand their need to see what's going on.

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Eric has had his hernia operation and is recovering at his sister's house until he is fit to travel by train back to Llangollen. She deserves a medal -he's not the easiest patient! I stayed here on the boat with Ben the dog because it was less hassle than us all going to Newport. I have found it quiet here but Ben and I have had lots of walks through mud and puddles and of course we have been up the field to play ball. While we were up the field this afternoon there was an amazing rainbow and the rain finally stopped. Another dog Poppy (a Jack Russell) came to play ball and Ben quite happily shared his ball while I had a nice chat to the dog's owner. Ben was filthy dirty so I was pleased he had his usual splash and paddle in the canal which got rid of most of the mud. I am now going to make some pancakes!

Friday, February 01, 2008

Today is my middle daughter Clare's birthday, so it's happy birthday from rainy, windy Llangollen. It's trying hard to snow here, we've had some sleet but it's too wet to settle. If it snows tonight Ben the dog will have a surprise- he's never seen snow. It's Ben's birthday today and we celebrated with some meaty treats! It's really cold here and he still paddled in the shallow part of the canal, obviously he's got a really good fur coat.

Tonight I am all warm and cosy on the boat and at the moment the howling wind has dropped, so I can stop worrying about the trees near the boat. That's one problem with winter moorings here, there's lots of big trees along the canal. Let's hope BW keeps a check on them! One tree did fall into the canal near the lift bridge but it was soon cut up and stacked on the roofs of two liveaboard narrowboats. This saved BW some work! Thinking of BW- today we join those with an out of date licence on show, we've paid and it but the paperwork is in Newport. I can see the BW man walking by in the morning and checking up on us!

About Me

I retired from primary teaching in 2006 and am now living afloat with my husband Eric on our narrowboat called 'Bendigedig'. The name means wonderful. After many years afloat we are still enjoying life. For several years we wintered in Llangollen in north Wales and then spent seven months cruising mainly canals with occasional rivers. Then things changed as we felt we needed a home, somewhere to leave the boat when we needed to be in Newport. We now have a residential mooring at Whixall Marina which is lovely and quiet away from noisy roads and trains. We will use it as a base to cruise from when we get itchy feet in the Summer months. If we don't want to cruise it's great to have a home. We needed a car so we aren't totally cut off from the world, which also makes visiting our family so much easier. Ben the dog had a lovely life with us on the boat and he loved his long walks until his bout of meningitis caused by a parasite (neosporosis) slowed him down as it affected his sight and coordination. He enjoyed life with us on the boat but after a lovely life he is now in doggy heaven.